text:
A look at the Bears' biggest needs for 2009.
It's easy to see why Bears GM Jerry Angelo wants to start any offseason improvements with quarterback. Only six NFL teams had worse offenses than the Bears (9-7) this year, and those six had a combined record of 19-76-1. And they also had an excuse: The starting quarterbacks for the Rams, Lions, Seahawks, Browns, Bengals and Raiders missed a combined 43 starts with injuries.
Yet Chicago's offense keeps getting a pass.
"We improved in a lot of areas," left tackle John St. Clair said this week. "That's all you can do. We just have to keep building on it."
Chicago's defense draws the more critical eye. The Bears say their defense is a shadow of the unit that led Chicago to a 24-8 record in 2005-06.
"You have to," Angelo said. "You can't put your head in the sand. You could say there were reasons for some of the things we went through (in 2007), but this year things didn't come along the way we wanted them to. We need to look harder now."
A hard look will show that Chicago's defense wore down like a steady drip of water eroding rock. The Bears' No. 21 defense was No. 6 in yards allowed per play. The Bears allowed their lowest rushing average (3.4) in 20 years. And their No. 30-rated pass defense was 10th in opponent's passer rating.
The defense's main problem was it was on the field for an NFL-high 1,087 plays. That's five more plays per game than the winless Lions.
"We let them have the football too much," coach Lovie Smith said.
The Bears returning to the playoffs in 2009 revolves around solving that simple problem. And that lies equally with the offense and the defense.
The offense needs quarterback Kyle Orton to improve or be replaced by a short-term free-agent veteran such as Jeff Garcia or Kurt Warner; Matt Cassel will be too expensive. Chicago also should clean house at receiver except for Devin Hester. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Devery Henderson, Shaun McDonald and Bobby Engram headline a thin free-agent crop at receiver. And when Lovie Smith and Angelo talk about looking at everything they do, they should examine their play calling.
The Bears were better at converting on third-and-4 to third-and-6 (45 percent) than they were on third-and-2 and third-and-3 (38 percent). Instead of running so often on short-yardage, the Bears should throw, and perhaps throw deep, like the Texans throwing a 33-yard pass to their tight end on third-and-1 in Sunday's win over the Bears. That would open up more room for Matt Forte to run.
On defense, the Bears need a new free safety and to bring back Mike Brown at strong safety, keeping Kevin Payne and Brandon McGowan as backups, not starters, and Danieal Manning at nickel back. Manning has found a home as a big-play nickel, but he makes too many mental mistakes at safety. Darren Sharper, Brian Dawkins and Dawan Landry will all be unrestricted free agents.
The Bears also need to get rid of defensive end Mark Anderson and hope Adewale Ogunleye bounces back in a contract year and defensive tackle Tommie Harris returns to his Pro Bowl form.
"I feel strongly that (Harris) is going to come back and give us the kind of play we paid him for," Angelo said. "I see the arrow going up."
It needs to. The Bears were 29th in sacks per play, a huge reason the defense couldn't get off the field. Chicago could even pick a defensive end high in the draft.
"You can never get too many edge rushers," Lovie Smith said. "Everything starts up front."
And everything depends on finding ways to not overtax a defense that remains good, but no longer dominates.
"You've got to tweak this," Ogunleye said. "We've played good enough some games to say it can work, but we've played bad enough to say it's not going to work the way it is. We've got to change things around and find a way to get that spark on defense."
Rockford Register Star assistant sports editor Matt Trowbridge can be reached at 815-987-1383 or email@example.com.


text:
This cabinet card was produced by innovative Derby photographer Richard Keene in August 1874 and, as with many early examples of the format, it actually had the words "Cabinet Portrait" written on the front of the card. The early cabinet card can be identified, in the same manner as its smaller predecessor the carte de visite, by the square corners.
The inscription on the reverse of this fine portrait identifies the three men in military uniform as Officers of the 1st Corps, First Battalion of the Derbyshire Volunteers (1st Derbyshire Rifles): Lieutenant William Bemrose (1831-1908), Captain John Farmer Thirlby (c.1839-) & Lieutenant Henry Monkhouse (1837-1905). William Bemrose was a partner in the printing, publishing and stationery firm, Bemrose & Sons. John F. Thirlby was a bank clerk and secretary of the Derby Gymnasium Club. Henry Monkhouse was a chemist's assistant at the time this portrait was taken.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Home security cameras don't just wind up recording porch pirates stealing boxes or robbers attempting to gain access into a home, they've also captured footage of everything from snake bites to weirdos to ghosts to gross encounters. A new video though caught something on camera that no one has really seen before. The clip seems to show an alien or elf-like creature, very similar to "Dobby" from Harry Potter walking down someone's driveway.
Vivian Gomez is the homeowner who posted the footage, captioning it, "So I woke up Sunday morning and saw this on my camera and am trying to figure out...what the heck?? First I saw the shadow walking from my front door then I saw this thing....has anyone else seen this on their cameras?? The other two cameras didn't pick it up for some reason."
The video has been seen millions of times and Vivian swears it "wasn't altered or photoshopped." With so many views, there are plenty of comments as well, most of them trying to discern what the strange figure actually is. Some people think it is a person sleepwalking, others feel it is a kid with shorts on his head who is walking in a goofy way, some surmise it's some kind of puppet and then a few are certain it's an alien.
Many others took the video as an opportunity to remind everyone that it can't be "Dobby" because [SPOILER ALERT] the house elf tragically died in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Photo: Facebook/Vivian Gomez


text:
Now that the mayor has unveiled his latest city budget for the upcoming fiscal year,the question of whether or not there will be teacher layoffs again becomes a very critical issue.
The mayor is insisting that there will have to be more than 4,600 teacher layoffs,with an additional 1,500 teachers leaving via attrition.
Yet our UFT president Michael Mulgrew argues that there will be no need for these layoffs, based on the budget from the state that governor Cuomo has already has unveiled.
Why are we hearing divergent comments from the mayor and our UFT president regarding the layoff issue? Let's stop playing cat and mouse with this very serious issue.
Teachers are so very vital to our school system-there should not be any layoffs. These layoffs will
certainly strain an already overburdened public school system, and it will have such negative impact on student instruction.
The mayor, schools chancellor and the UFT president need to work together to bring about a fair and equitable resolution to this looming issue which will have absolute negative consequences, should it
actually be implemented.
Our children deserve a teacher in every classroom,and every teacher who works hard to advance education in our classrooms deserves to have a job. We teachers work very hard to provide the best education for our students.
Please do not compromise education in New York City public schools.
John Amato
Fresh Meadows


text:
Wee Forest Folk Winter M-436a Taunting Trio - New Limited
This item has been shown 457 times.
Wee Forest Folk Winter M-436a Taunting Trio - New Limited:
M-408a Dynamic Duo
Gotcha! Some snow on the nose is all part of the fun in an exciting snow ball fight in the freshly fallen powder!Limited until September 1st, 2020. 1.375 x 1.75
Wee Forest Folk®is a small family business which delights in producing a line of miniatures - most of which are mice. Cast in Reinforced casting stonefrom original sculptures created by the Petersen family, meticulous painting brings each one of these sculptures to life. Made is the USA.We are an authorized WFF retailer. All items are in mint condition in their original packaging. We offer the WFF factory 5/6 collector Incentive. Store Specials, and Event pieces can not be applied to the 5/6 program. All Wee Forest Folk current line and retired purchases count towardsthe 5/6 discount however,5/6 Discounts can not be applied to Orders.
We are a store. All items are new in mint condition unless stated otherwise above. All items come in their original packaging with all paperwork. We will inspect items to confirm they are mint or upon request.
Insurance, shipping & handling in U.S. is FREE. Payment can be made with PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. We ship through UPS ground; all packages are shipped 1 to 2 days after payment is received and are insured for their full value. sales must be paid with in 10 days of ending or a negative comment will be posted. We do NOT accept "best offers". We do NOT offer layaway on sale items. On all sale items, shipping and handling charges will apply. We do combine shipping charges for multiple items purchased. Please wait to pay for your items until we send you an invoice to obtain the combined shipping charges. Shipping outside of the United States is additional. As of February 1, 2010, we do not ship to all countries. Please request a shipping charge to your location before offerding, we charge actual shipping rates thru the USPS. We are NOT responsible for oversea custom charges, they are the responsibility of the buyer per & PayPal rules.
Pick Ups: We do welcome pick ups at our store after the item has been purchased thru .Returns: If you wish to return an item you purchased from FairyTales-Inc, you must notify us within 3 days of receiving the item. Shipping fees will not be refunded. Buyer is responsible for fees incurred to return items to FairyTales-Inc. Credit for the item will not be issued until FairyTales-Inc receives the item in its original condition it was received. We will not accept items that are returned with out notice. All returns must have a FairyTales-Inc return Authorization number on the box. Damages caused in shipping must be report to FairyTales-inc with in 3 days after the item is received. FairyTales-Inc will issue a full refund or replace the item after the shipping claim has been issued.Damages: If you receive a damaged item, please contact us with in 3 days after the item is received. We will replace the item immediately if in stock along with placing a claim with the shipping carrier or the manufacturer of the item. DO NOT ship this item back to us. We will issue a shipping call tag for the item to be picked up or destroyed. We will not accept items returned without notice. If we do not have the item, buyer is welcome to exchange the item for another of equal value. Or we will issue a full refund on the damaged item.
Holiday Shipping: For the Christmas Holiday, Orders must be placed and paid for by December 7 to be received by December 24 in the Continental United States. Orders will be shipped via UPS unless requested otherwise. Shipping is NOT guaranteed due to unforeseen weather conditions and shipping carriers requirements. Orders shipping International via the USPS for the Christmas Holiday must be placed and paid for by 2:00 PM on November 26 to be received December 24. Again, shipping is NOT guaranteed due to unforeseen weather conditions and shipping carriers requirements. We will happily expedite shipping (next day, second day or three day select) with an additional charge to the buyer.
** Please Note: Stock photo from manufacturer that may not match exactly.**
Wee Forest Folk Winter M-436a Taunting Trio - New Limited:
Wee Forest Folk Ladybug Halloween Figurine
Wee Forest Folk Jingle Belle Please Read Description And See Pictures
Wee Forest Folk Cookie Jar Please Read Description
Wee Forest Folk Wedding Couple M-067 W/box 1982 Retired 1993
Wee Forest Folk M-185a The Old Black Stove Limited Edition
Vintage Ceramic Mouse Figurine, Kitsch Cute Anthropomorphic


text: Friday at Scruffy Murphys (which was also my birthday) was the first time I'd seen Lifer and they were awesome! Now, those of you who know me know that Acrimony are one of my favourite bands... of all time... ever!! Lifer feature Lee from Acrimony (and Black Eye Riot) so it was a great pleasure to finally meet him, as well as the rest of the Lifer boys.


text:
- Do I speak too fast? Stephanie wanted more ideas on handling speed and pacing, and this popular post walked her through some options for using those and other tactics to add emphasis to her speaking.
- I've developed a short message. Now what? How to expand on your message outline was another of Stephanie's questions, and this post proved popular with our readers as well.
- Do introverts make better leaders? This post looks at good leadership skills that introverts display--many of which have to do with how and when they speak, or prepare to speak.
- Final exam: Speak at the mall is a post that looked at a community-college public speaking class that did just that, parked in front of a JC Penney and competing with mall noise and passers-by.
- Would you devote a year to public speaking? This post looks at a journalist who did, with the aim of improving this skills in this area. Let me know if that's on your resolution list for 2010.
- Even the most basic speaking tasks, from introducing a speaker to cutting a ribbon at a grand opening, can be spiced up using the tips in this post.
- Can you turn a difficult situation into a great speaker anecdote? See how this prominent woman scientist did in sharing her struggle for acceptance.
- Practice is essential to improve your speaking skills. This post focuses on how to fit speaking practice into your busy schedule, so you can eliminate that barrier in the coming year.
- A year-end wrap-up of the top women speakers featured on the blog this year also proved popular. It's a long list of inspiring examples. Please help me add to it in 2010!
- Find other great bloggers on public speaking, from my list of those who've mentioned The Eloquent Woman in recent posts.
Inspiration, ideas and information to help women build public speaking content, confidence and credibility. Denise Graveline is a Washington, DC-based speaker coach who has coached nearly 200 TEDMED and TEDx speakers--including one of 2016's most popular TED talks. She also has prepared speakers for presentations, testimony, and keynotes. She offers 1:1 coaching and group workshops in public speaking, presentation and media interview skills to both men and women.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
December's top 10 public speaking tips
This month, The Eloquent Woman blog wrapped up all sorts of presents, including the final weeks of our Step Up Your Speaking online coaching for Stephanie Benoit. Those posts and more make up our year-end top tips for December. Feel free to leave a comment with the questions, ideas and issues you'd like to see the blog cover in 2010!
Posted by eloquentwoman at Thursday, December 31, 2009 0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
From emerging industry trends to breakthrough technologies and business models, we help shine a spotlight on the companies that power the region's innovation economy.
Who We Are
TAO unites the region's technology industry and is a recognized leader in shaping and growing technology and business communities. We empower businesses and entrepreneurs through networks, events, resources and more.
Learn More


text:
- Yield
- Makes 6 servings
- 2 large (about 1 1/4 pounds each) pork tenderloins, well trimmed
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
- 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds, coarsely ground
- 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus more if necessary
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut pork tenderloins crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide medallions, then lightly pound with meat mallet to 3/4-inch thickness; sprinkle with pepper.
- Combine breadcrumbs, coarsely ground mustard seeds, whole mustard seeds, and salt in pie dish or wide bowl.
- In medium bowl, whisk together egg whites and water.
- Dip pork in egg white mixture; coat with mustard-seed mixture on both sides; and place on rimmed baking sheet.
- In heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.
- Working in batches, cook pork until brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Transfer to baking sheet; roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into meat registers 140°F, about 10 minutes (meat will continue to cook as it rests). Transfer pork to large platter; let rest 10 minutes. Serve with red wine sauce .


text:
James and Franz Wright, poets, and miserable sons-of-bitches.
"A Blessing" by James Wright is maudlin crap, perhaps the worst poem ever published.
The lust for horsies and the 'break into blossom' trope is embarrassing in the extreme.
"Northern Pike" is a close second: "we prayed for the muskrats"
"I am so happy." Good grief.
His football poem isn't much better; "gallup terribly" is a trite way to describe the violence of football. One can tell he's just a nerdy observer.
"Their women cluck like starved pullets,/Dying for love." Lines like these are destined for the ash heap.
Don't get me started on the treacly, self-pitying exploitation of George Doty, the executed killer.
What to do with James Wright, who is nothing more than smarmy Whitman-haiku?
[Note: No woman poet seeking entrance to the canon would be permitted to get away with Wright's metaphorical slop.]
"Depressed by a book of bad poetry…"
"I have wasted my life."
The times (1972) were right for Whitman-haiku poetry, so James Wright's Pulitzer is no surprise. Plus, Wright was associated with a lot of big names: Roethke, Kunitz, Tate, Berryman, Bly.
Franz faced a difficulty as a poet. His father was a name. Say what you will about Whitman-haiku, his father did it well.
Franz seems to have genuinely admired his father's poetry and made no attempt, as a poet, to get out from under his father's shadow.
Junior poet looks up to senior poet and uses the same straight-forward, plain-speaking, self-obsessed, sentimentality of approach: Look, reader, here is my transparent chest; take a look at what I am feeling. You might think I'd be sad—and good Lord, I have reason to be—but something about the inscrutability of the universe and my inner faith makes me happy.
Recently on Harriet, Franz Wright wrote the following, which Franz never should have written and which Harriet never should have published, and which we publish here because…oh, we forget why.
[Warning: Wright's comment on Harriet does contain abusive language]
Henry–I have no opinion about your "work", or the "work" of others like little Kent and the others you masturbate with. My suggestion to all of you is: give up everything for the art. Everything. Can you do that? I did it 35 years ago–do you think that might have something to do with what you little whiners call "being on the inside"? I am not on the inside of shit. I gave up everything, everything, to be a poet. I lived in financial terror and homelessness, sometimes, for nearly 40 years. Can you do that? You little whining babies. —Franz Wright, 12/20/2009 Blog:Harriet
Now, that's poetry.
Granted, it's hyperbolic to say you gave up everything to be a poet. What does that even mean? No one wants to suffer, and to say in hindsight that you suffered for your art is arrogant, because even if you thought it were true, it can never be proven by anyone, anywhere, that the more outrageously you suffer, the better your art will be. There's no substance to such a "brag."
But we love the balls of it.


text:
The Blessing Place (Wilmington, Delaware) Extreme Faith, Praise, Power, PresenceRSS Feed Podcast
West Africa Crusade,
More Details Coming Soon.
One way you can bless us is to help spread the word about our ministry on these networks
- Digg Digg.com - Digg It!
- Stumble Upon Stumble Upon.com - Stumble This!
- Twitter Twitter.com - Tweet This!
- Facebook Facebook.com - Post on Facebook
- Delicious Del.icio.us - Add to Delicious
- Design Float Design Float.com - Float It!
- Reddit Reddit.com - Add to Reddit
- Technorati Technorati.com - Add to Technorati
- Newsvine Newsvine.com - Add to Newsvine
This entry is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Leave a Reply
- No upcoming Events


text:
Michael Dell Says He's Not Taking Company Back Into the Phone Business
Michael Dell has lots of plans for his soon-to-be-privately-held company. But getting back into the mobile phone business is apparently not on the list.
"We're not getting in the mobile phone business," Dell said in an interview with CNBC on Friday.
Instead, Dell said, the company will look to benefit from the mobile market in other ways.
"Every time a new mobile company gets born, they need servers and infrastructure and storage," Dell told CNBC. "Companies need to protect and secure their data on these mobile devices."
For those who have forgotten, Dell made several stabs into the phone market with both Android and Windows Phone products before stepping to the sidelines. Heck, the company was arguably a pioneer of the phablet, introducing the five-inch Dell Streak way back in 2010 at our D8 conference (and then discontinuing it in 2011).
None of those efforts won much love from either carriers or customers, though, and Dell hasn't been making phones for some time.
Dell said the company would focus on other areas, particularly business products and services, as well as products for emerging markets. Tablets will be a piece of Dell's business, he said.


text:
Moderator: coldharvest
by crotalus01 » Sun Jan 21, 2018 5:31 pm
by rickshaw92 » Sun Jan 21, 2018 11:33 pm
by crotalus01 » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:41 pm
by Ozymandias » Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:10 pm
by Slam » Sat Jun 30, 2018 2:28 am
by Ramius_Typhoon » Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:07 pm
Return to Black Flag Cafe
Users browsing this forum: Majestic-12 [Bot] and 2 guests
Please note that the topics discussed, opinions expressed and/or information provided in this forum are those of fellow forum participants only. Neither Robert Young Pelton, nor ComeBackAlive.com Inc., nor Ingle International Inc., nor any other person or entity involved in the creation or maintenance of this site, takes any responsibility or provides any endorsement for the topics discussed, opinions expressed or information provided in this forum. Any advice or information taken from this forum is entirely at your own risk.


text:
A joint initiative between the American Immigration Council and AILA seeks to change the playing field for immigrants facing deportation.
AILA's Featured Issues pages provide a one-stop shop on current immigration-related issues that AILA is actively tracking. This includes government actions and resources, AILA's policy recommendations, and materials and talking points to engage with Congress and the press.Start Your Research
* AILA updates this information periodically. Rules are subject to change. Please verify with your jurisdiction.
|AILA's Provider Status:
|Accredited Sponsor - All programs are presumptively approved.
|Approved Programs:
In-Person Conferences
Live Webcasts of In-Person Conferences
Live Audio and Web Seminars
OnDemand Programs
|Credit Available:
|View your state's conference information page for the amount and type of credit available for in-person conferences and live webcasts of in-person conferences. Audio/web seminars are all 90 minutes in length and are eligible for 1.5 general credits, unless otherwise noted. OnDemand programs receive the same amount as the live version of the program.
|Credit Restrictions:
|Attorneys earn up to 8 credits per compliance period through OnDemand programs. OnDemand programs are available from October 1, 2011.
OnDemand recordings are eligible for CLE for the duration of the compliance period in which they were recorded. The compliance periods run from November 1 through October 31. For example, a program recorded Dec 30, 2011 and a program recorded October 1, 2012 will both expire on October 31, 2012.
|AILA's Reporting Requirements:
|AILA does not report attendance, but sends VA Form 2T or Form 3 to attendees.
|Attendee Compliance for CLE:
|Each attendee must submit and affirm the sessions they attended using webCLE. A four-digit attendance verification code is given during each session and must also be submitted. Attorneys must complete their webCLE submission within one week of the event to receive a certificate of attendance and to have their attendance reported.
|General Credit Requirements
|12 total credits per compliance period.
|Specialized Credit Requirements:
|2 ethics credits per compliance period.
|Compliance Period Length:
|1 year
|Compliance Deadline:
|October 31
|Reporting Deadline:
|December 15
|Credit Calculation:
|60 minutes per credit hour, rounded to nearest half hour
(AILA's CLE Calculator)
|Attorney Reporting Requirements:
|Attorneys are sent a compliance report to be completed by December 15.
American Immigration Lawyers Association
1331 G Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Copyright © 1993-2020
American Immigration Lawyers Association.


text:
TIP: See Where You Are In A Tool
When searching an Accordance Tool module, you may get results which are buried deep within a long article. When that happens, how can you see the wider context of where you are in the tool?
For example, let's say I search the Titles field of the Holman Bible Dictionary for the word "judges." Here's the first result I get:
This is obviously a subarticle within a much larger article, but how can I find out which one? I could obviously scroll back until I got to the beginning of the article, but if it's a very long article, that's not particularly practical.
So here's the trick: if you hold the option key down while clicking the Table of Contents icon, the Contents browser will open and automatically drill down through all the higher levels of the current article, enabling me to see immediately that this is a subarticle of "Israel, Land of."
If I decide that's not what I'm looking for and I click the down Mark arrow to examine other occurrences of the word "judges," I'll eventually come to an article under the alphabetical heading "K."
The option-click trick works here as well. I need only option-click the disclosure triangle next to the letter K to have Accordance drill down and show that the current subarticle belongs to the article "King, Kingship."
Using this trick enables you to see from the surrounding context whether a search result is what you're looking for, which is a lot faster than reading each article or scrolling back to its beginning.
Archived Comments
Bryan Catherman
This is such a great tool that it should be the default! When I click the contents when I'm anywhere in the tool, it should open drilled down. Then for those who don't want that, the option click could be not drilled down. Because it seems (and maybe I'm wrong) most people would prefer to see the drilled down view when working in the tool?
David Lang
There have been many times I've considered pushing for it to be the default, but I always find myself wondering if that would be counterintuitive or frustrating to users who use the Contents browser primarily as a navigation tool. Would they wonder why the Contents would never open to the beginning?
We can certainly consider such a change if enough of you request it.
John Fidel
I have to agree with Bryan on this one. Make it the default.
Bret Hicks
I would agree - this should be the default. If I am using it as a true browser, I can always just scroll to the top. But when I am in an article, I think the overwhelming majority of the time I would want to see where I am in the tool.
Thanks for the tips. It helps us use this awesome - but at times almost overwhleming - tool.
In Christ,
I vote for default.
yeah, make it a preferences option... what i'd like to see is page references to the print edition in the instant details... but that's just me...
Robert Nowell
It seems to me making it the default would be good, but I like the suggestions of JT and Kevin where it can be set in preferences to work as the user prefers. Great tip!
I'm with Kevin....I'd love having the page number in the instant details box...that would make research papers much easier! Thx.
Ray Robinson
Another vote to make the drill down the default.


text:
Three HIV/AIDS activist groups convened a meeting in March with researchers and representatives of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to describe the current state of cure research and identify barriers to moving such research forward swiftly and smoothly. The proceedings of this meeting, which took place immediately before the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) that began on March 5 in Seattle, are now available in a report online.
"A cure for HIV will be essential to ending the AIDS pandemic, but science that is focused directly on a cure is still in early stages and will likely require the support of multiple stakeholders to proceed at the fastest pace," reads the executive summary of the report, authored by David Evans, Kevin Fisher, Jeff Taylor and Siegfried Schwarze.
In the past four years, the report notes, there have been signs of increasing scientific momentum and funding directed toward curing HIV infection.
The remarkable case of "Berlin Patient" Timothy Brown—a man who all signs suggest has been cured of HIV—has catalyzed and expanded what was once a small and somewhat fragmented effort to understand how HIV persists despite effective antiretroviral (ARV) therapy and to explore mechanisms to eliminate the hidden pool of virus in people on ARV treatment (a sterilizing cure) or to enable the immune system to control HIV without the need for ARVs (a functional cure).
This momentum, the activists write, has been greatly enhanced by the NIH-funded Martin Delaney Collaboratory projects, partnerships between academia and industry focused on the possibility of discovering and developing a safe, effective, feasible and scalable HIV cure.
Among recent signs of progress, researchers have contributed new insights into where and why HIV persists despite potent ARV therapy. In addition, the first controlled clinical trials of drugs to activate cells harboring archived HIV, such as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, are yielding promising signals, and other types of treatments designed to teach the immune system to either clear or control the virus on its own have been initiated.
But central questions remain, the report stresses.
For example, it is still not clear what types of cells and anatomical compartments harbor HIV, nor is it understood which methods work best for measuring the latent virus in these reservoirs. Knowledge regarding how HIV is able to replenish these reservoirs, even when ARVs with "maximally suppressive" effects on viral load are being used consistently and correctly, is also needed. Actually, it's not entirely clear if modern ARV therapy is, in fact, fully suppressing HIV replication. And does the immune system play a role in HIV persistence? In addition, what are the forms of immunologic HIV control that can potentially be enhanced without major safety issues?
Finally, the report asks, what are "reasonable" risks for the people living with HIV who will be participating in early—and potentially dangerous—studies, and how can these individuals be best protected?
To address these questions, members of the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC), the Treatment Action Group (TAG) and Project Inform sat down with several industry and academic researchers on March 4 in Seattle, who described their current projects, outlined the obstacles and facilitators to cure research and offered suggestions for the kinds of activities that community advocates might undertake to overcome current obstacles.
Highlights include: an overview of AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) clinical trial development by Dan Kuritzkes, MD; laboratory testing for new compounds, including work being conducted by Romas Geleziunas, PhD, at Gilead Sciences; the prospects of gene therapy, notably ongoing zinc finger nuclease work at Sangamo Biosciences, discussed by Dale Ando, MD; stem cell research after the Berlin Patient, highlighted by John Zaia, MD, who underscored the importance of not overselling this approach; and work focusing on the enhancement of immune responses, reviewed by Pablo Tebas, MD.
The post-meeting report, issued in April, provides a brief synopsis of each presentation, followed by an outline of areas identified by the workshop speakers and participants for further exploration, development and incorporation into a cure advocacy agenda.
"The prevailing view of all the speakers was that we must not raise premature and unrealistic hopes of a cure for HIV either in people who volunteer their bodies for cure research, or in the wider community of people with HIV and their allies," the authors write. "Critical early steps have been identified, but we need many more successes in analytics, basic science and translational research—in both animals and people—before the cure will be within our grasp."
Report Outlines HIV Cure Research, Important Gaps
Three HIV/AIDS activist groups convened a meeting in March with researchers and representatives of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to describe the current state of cure research and identify barriers to moving such research forward swiftly and smoothly. The proceedings of this meeting, which took place immediately before the 19th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) that began on March 5 in Seattle, are now available in a report online.


text:
Bricks Stone
Home » Bricks » Stone Bricks » stone bricks wall with door 8
stone bricks wall with door 8
Texture Keywords
Download this medieval stone bricks wall \ medieval wall texture. Textures for 3d studio max, maya, blender, texturing, photoshop and game development. Dirt and old and messy stone bricks wall texture. 1233 stone bricks textures in this category, download our hires textures from this page. This wall texture is taken in Rome old downtown (Italy). Here is a pic of a very old medieval stone bricks wall from my european ruins texture library. Download this texture photo, perfect for mapping your castle, church, or medieval building.


text:
Johnson, Lois Walfrid is the author of 'Disappearing Stranger', published 2009 under ISBN 9780880622752 and ISBN 088062275X.[read more]
You can find lots of answers to common customer questions in our FAQs
View a detailed breakdown of our shipping prices
Learn about our return policy
Still need help? Feel free to contact us
View college textbooks by subject
and top textbooks for college
With our dedicated customer support team, 30-day no-questions-asked return policy, and our price match guarantee, you can rest easy knowing that we're doing everything we can to save you time, money, and stress.


text:
Last night, Darling, who is obviously not feeling well, wanted to express her sick distress using her favorite art medium, Play-Doh.
We had no Play-Doh, other than a dry, crusty chunk I found in her "creativity drawer" of my desk.
Total. Complete. Meltdown.
It was ugly.
Being the best mother in the world, and hating the fact that she was sick and sad, I silently curse myself for forgetting to buy more and I quickly scan the internet for a recipe for Play-Doh.
I've never made homemade doh, my mother, who is the most uncrafty human being alive never made doh.
This was uncharted parental territory.
Moxie-Doh Recipe:
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
3/4 cup water
food coloring of indetermine amount (use your own judgement)
Add flour and water as needed to get the right consistancy
Mix ingredients first with a fork and then squishing between your fingers, screw the rolling pin method.
I felt pretty badass, I've got to tell you...
My purple (Darling's favorite color) doh rocks!
Prior to concocting this, I was dubious of the quality it might yield.
During the process, Darling was dubious. She asked me what I was doing and I told her that I was making her play-doh and she said, "No you're not, that looks gross!" I kind of agreed.
The doh turned out great and when I presented it to her she was thrilled. "You MADE this for ME?!"
A few minutes later she came out into the living room and handed the ball of Moxie-doh to me. There was a smiley face poked into it.
"What's this, Darling?"
"It's me, Mommy. I love you. Thanks for my purple play-doh."
And....cue the heart warming tears....
If you need an idea for Christmas stocking stuffers, I ran across Eau de Play-Doh cologne. I kinda hate myself for being intrigued by this...
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Play-Doh Crisis of Aught Eight Avoided
Last night, Darling, who is obviously not feeling well, wanted to express her sick distress using her favorite art medium, Play-Doh.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 1:09 PM 8 comments
You know what's REALLY awesome for Thanksgiving?
Snot-encrusted 4 year old with a side of virus, fever and double ear infection. Add bleary eyed, sleep deprived parents short on temper. Toss with extended family and voila!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 12:59 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Not on Darling's Christmas List
Wow. I'm a huge fan of the book "Everybody Poops" but a moose with diarrhea? I question the educational quality of this.
I'd say "You've got to be shitting me" but the pun is probably too literal.
What I question even more is how this got published. This book just seems dumb. And yes, I'm judging a book by it's cover.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 12:31 PM 6 comments
Turkey Guilt?
Saw this over at Shoebox. It struck me as funny...
I thought Catholic guilt was bad.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 11:23 AM 2 comments
Friday, November 21, 2008
Gag or Good?
I'm a big fan of AllRecipes.com and their recipes. This morning, I was sent the following recipe (I'm addicted to recipes. Some I make, some I don't).
I can't decide if it would be completely gross or completely delicious. I enjoy blue cheese and bacon as much as the next red-blooded American gal, but with pumpkin soup?
I don't know...it got good reviews....
Velvety Pumpkin Soup With Blue Cheese and Bacon
2 (15 ounce) cans pumpkin
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 slices bacon
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
Stir together the pumpkin, chicken stock, half-and-half, shallot, molasses, butter, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large stockpot over low heat; simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until crispy; remove to paper towels to drain, then cool and crumble.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with bacon and blue cheese.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 9:24 AM 3 comments
Black Friday Public Service Announcement
It's really the only contact sport I engage in.
It's the modern age thrill of the hunt. Shopaholics, get ready. Sharpen those elbows (for jabbing little old ladies reaching for the last Barbie and the Diamond Castle dvd) find your steel toe boots (a neccessity for those evil women who WILL step on your toes.)
I've been ready for weeks!
As a marketing professional, the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday, is the Highest Holy Day of the advertising world. Super Bowl Sunday runs a close second.
If you haven't ever seen this site: BlackFriday you should take a look.
They post all the Day after Thanksgiving ads that are "leaked" ahead of time. Even if you aren't planning on running with the Black Friday bulls, there are a lot of online specials that are one day exclusives.
Finances being what they are this year, you can get some really incredible deals if you do your research and if you're quick.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 9:07 AM 3 comments
Thursday, November 20, 2008
My All-time Favorite Song....
I've begged my sisters not to get married until they hear this song. Just as perspective for what's important despite what my mom thinks is important...I first heard this song at a very painful crossroads of my life and I decided to take the plunge despite my Taurean nature of material stability...I'm so glad I did. I hope everyone has faith in their partner's dreams. Even if it seems impossible, well, shit works out if it's supposed to, if you're lucky.
Lyrics if you're lazy...The last verse is the money...
I met a man without a dollar to his name
Who had no traits of any value but his smile
I met a man who had no yearn or claim to fame
Who was content to let life pass him for a while
And I was sure that all I ever wanted
Was a life like the movie stars led
And he kissed me right here, and he said,
"I'll give you stars and the moon and a soul to guide you
And a promise I'll never go
I'll give you hope to bring out all the life inside you
And the strength that will help you grow.
I'll give you truth and a future that's twenty times better
Than any Hollywood plot."
And I thought, "You know, I'd rather have a yacht."
I met a man who lived his life out on the road
Who left a wife and kids in Portland on a whim
I met a man whose fire and passion always showed
Who asked if I could spare a week to ride with him
But I was sure that all I ever wanted
Was a life that was scripted and planned
And he said, "But you don't understand —
"I'll give you stars and the moon and the open highway
And a river beneath your feet
I'll give you day full of dreams if you travel my way
And a summer you can't repeat.
I'll give you nights full of passion and days of adventure,
No strings, just warm summer rain."
And I thought, "You know, I'd rather have champagne."
I met a man who had a fortune in the bank
Who had retired at age thirty, set for life.
I met a man and didn't know which stars to thank,
And then he asked one day if I would be his wife.
And I looked up, and all I could think of
Was the life I had dreamt I would live
And I said to him, "What will you give?"
"I'll give you cars and a townhouse in Turtle Bay
And a fur and a diamond ring
And we'll be married in Spain on my yacht today
And we'll honeymoon in Beijing.
And you'll meet stars at the parties I throw at my villas
In Nice and Paris in June."
And I thought, "Okay."
And I took a breath
And I got my yacht
And the years went by
And it never changed
And it never grew
And I never dreamed
And I woke one day
And I looked around
And I thought, "My God...
I'll never have the moon."
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 10:10 PM 0 comments
Helpful (Frozen) Holiday Reminder....
Just in case you need it...
I read this and was reminded of this.
I shuddered and moved on.
No one likes a frigid bird.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 9:26 PM 1 comments
Grab your sticks and let's have some fun
Ok. I know this is a bit stale, but I've been a bit lazy on the blogging front due to being sick. I can't let this one go by uncommented on though.
If you haven't heard already, along with baby dolls and skateboards, the lowly, primative stick was introduced into the Toy Hall of Fame.
At first I thought they committe who decided this was a bit lazy, but if you think about it further, it's freakin' genius!
Through my own childhood experiences and now watching my 4 year old (who can find a stick no matter where she is), I understand the play value of this original toy.
It's the original "Put that down before you put someone's eye out!" toy.
It can be used as a magic wand, a sword, an adventurer's walking stick or a disappointing boomerang.
Sticks provide hours of imaginative enjoyment for boys and girls alike.
Moxie's Top Ten Uses of Sticks in Play:
1. Magic Wand.
2. Fishing rod.
3. Sword to fight other children, pirates and/or imaginary fierce tigers.
4. Shovel for digging a hole to China.
5. Autopsy equipment for dead animals one might find.
6. Excavation tool for discovering ant hills.
7. Majorette's twirling baton.
8. For use in questionably unstable fort building.
9. Wicked cool ninja tool.
10. Imaginary boat oar.
Did I miss anything?
Things being what they are this year, I wonder how many kids will be getting these for Christmas?
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 12:45 PM 3 comments
A Grinch With Moxie
Alright, Asshats that are already full of the Christmas spirit...Can you wait a week? C'mon! You're hitting on one of Moxie's Top 10 Pet Peeves, second only to gnome lawn art.
I hate how Thanksgiving gets skipped over every year. I hate it.
Right now, a jackass in my office is listening to KUDL or Star 102. They compete for who's going to go to an "All Christmas music" format every year. This year it was the day after Halloween.
8 full days before Halloween this year I went into Big Lots for cheap Halloween office decorations. There was ONE AISLE of Halloween stuff. The rest of the Holiday Section was Christmas.
No cornicopias, no historically inaccurate pilgrims, nary a turkey decoration in sight.
I have firm beliefs in holiday celebrations.
The Christmas Season begins officially when Santa Claus comes down 34th Street in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. NOT ONE SINGLE SECOND BEFORE!!!!!!!!!!!
I implemented this rule after dating Handsome for a year. He happens to have the world's largest collection of Christmas music CD's. Everything from Alvin and the Chipmunks to the fucking Vienna Boys Choir.
By New Year's I'm ready to kill myself.
I love Christmas. LOVE it! However, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year that celebrates American excess (oh argue Christmas does the same thing, I don't care.) Thanksgiving brings back memories of going to my Grandma's house singing "Over the river and thru the woods" and all of that.
The Macy's Parade was a big deal for her. She grew up in Brooklyn and always went to the parade with her family. After moving to KS, she could only watch on tv. For her Christmas began with Santa and 34th Street and it's a family tradition I'd like to continue.
The history of American thanksgivings is kind of twisted. Screw the pilgrims, the first thanksgiving was in Florida.
Here's some fun stuff about the holiday.
For those addicted to online quizzes, here you go.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 10:05 AM 8 comments
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Not Puffy Eyed Approved.
This truly screwed with me. Why didn't I stop looking at it? I'm a glutton for punishment. It's kind of cool in an obnoxious Mad Magazine sort of way.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 2:42 PM 1 comments
why my eyes are red and puffy today
I pretty much cried my eyes out last night so I'm puffy-eyed today. My best friend's grandma, we'll call her Maria, passed away last night.
I feel like my own grandma died.
My BFF's family is Sicilian and they have a way of enveloping people into their family. Maria was the most incredible woman. She was sassy, bossy, opinionated and completely loving. She spoiled her daughter, grandchildren and Darling and I rotten. I'm going to miss her so much.
She had been sick for quite a while but we all pretty much thought she'd at least make it until after the holidays.
Last night she was giving hell (a regular habit of hers) to the nurse who was trying to get her to eat which she refused to do since she said the nursing home food was inedible. (Maria owned a 4 star restaurant in KC during the 1970's and 1980's so she's a little picky about who prepares her food.)
The nurse left the room for five minutes and when he returned, she was gone. Quick as that. She had been up walking and sassing everyone just an hour before. No warning or indication the end was so close.
My BFF's mom (Maria's daughter) was sitting out in the hall, filling out paperwork when it happened and went into complete shock. When I talked to her this morning, she just kept saying, "I didn't know that was the last time I'd see her. I wasn't ready to say goodbye."
I know how she feels. I couldn't go to see her because of this shitty cold I'm still fighting. (Doctors tend to frown on upper respiratory infections around people with congestive heart failure.)
It's probably good that God took her by surprise. Maria was stubborn and was afraid of dying.
I guess she had plenty to consume her with Catholic guilt...
She used to drink like a fish.
She smoked like a chimney.
She was married two or three times (no one's really sure if she was officially married to the second one)and had several "liaisons".
She had to take a year long "vacation" to Canada due to her alleged involvement with something that no one will discuss (Mafia related.)
When FBI agents would dine/eavesdrop in her restaurant, she would write a code symbol on the cocktail napkins of her patrons' drinks to warn them to watch what they said.
She probably could have been a better mother, but no one ever doubted that she loved us.
She told the best stories and gave the most enthusiastic if not downright wacky gifts. (BFF's husband got collector's dolls of the Backstreet Boys one year for Christmas. I once got a 1970's Better Homes and Gardens cookbook).
I'll miss how she always gave huge hugs and would speak in Sicilian when she didn't want anyone other than BFF's mother to know what she was saying. I'll miss her quirks like being convinced that a neighbor/someone in the grocery store/that man on the street gave her the evil eye and thus cursed her.
You know what? I'm going to stop right there. I don't need any puffy enhancements this afternoon. My eyes already look like I smoked my lunch...
happier post next time, I promise.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 12:53 PM 4 comments
Friday, November 14, 2008
Ok, Whatever...the Downtime Edition
I'm pretty sure it's lame to be home alone on a Friday night, but, well, screw you.
I'm tired, I'm sick as shit, and I don't have a day off until Thanksgiving and I couldn't find a babysitter tonight that would work for free laundry facilities and Pizza Rolls (Handsome's siblings) so I couldn't pretend to be a grown up and go watch his show tonight.
Which, between you and me? It's ok.
Tomorrow is a big day (think Scarlett O'Hara as I say that)...
Despite being sick, exhausted and moderately depressed over everything I still have to somehow do over the next 3 weeks?
One Quarter of my heritage is "Britannic" (Scotch, Irish, English).
F' it....
Top 5 Songs That Get Stuck In Moxie's Head:
5. "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'bama"
4. "Mrs. Brown" Herman's Hermits
3. "We Didn't Start the Fire" Billy Joel
2. "Paperback Writer" The Beatles
1. "Henry the 8th" Herman's Hermits
Notice I didn't torture you with links...
Moxie's benevolent like that.
Handsome knows, over the course of our 12 years together all he has to say is "En'ry" and I'm F'd for the rest of the day.
It's cute but annoying.
Wish me luck this weekend, guys. I'm stressin'!
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 9:06 PM 3 comments
Still sick....
I'm still sick. This sucks. I have so much to blog about but no energy. I've got a lot on my plate until after this weekend, so hopefully I'll feel better next week and I'll get back to posting on a regular basis...
I hope you have a great weekend.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 12:48 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Barack O'Bama? Huh?
Someone sent this to Handsome today (knowing how Handsome is quite proud of his Irish heritage). Apparently, so is Barack Obama. Dude, he's seriously Irish. His 4th great grandfather came from Ireland. Huh.
This song is actually kind of catchy. It's awesome!!!!
What's really awesome? Barack's dancing!
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 5:49 PM 1 comments
Tap Dancing Thru Molasses
I'm sick.
Full blown sick.
Complete with snot, bleary eyes, body aches, a low grade fever and an uncontrollable cough.
Medicine just scoffs, shakes it's head and says, "There's nothing to be done here. I can't help you anymore."
Jealous, aren't you?
Why am I not home curled up in bed, reading a book?
I need to do my part for American Capitalism and I'm reluctant to give up my carefully horded "vacation time" that I'm planning to take during the holidays.
I was coughing/snotting so bad last night, I took mercy on Handsome and went out to sleep/not sleep due to the coughing on the pullout couch. I felt bad for him since I kept waking him up.
So I'm sleep deprived too. I seriously am dragging today. It's like tap dancing thru a vat of molasses to try and gather the energy to walk down the hall to the boss' office.
This sickness just can't happen. I have too much to do and don't have a day off until Nov. 22. So, I'm just trudging on through it all.
Where did this viral contamination come from?
The one and only Darling.
Kids are nothing but Germ Factories.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 10:50 AM 4 comments
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
On Burger King Monkeys...
So, late last week Darling, Handsome and I went to Burger King (Yeah, I was lazy about dinner, what of it?!)
Darling got her obligatory Mac N Cheese, Apple Fries, and Chocolate Milk.
Handsome and I sampled the Whoppers.
Darling got a toy. A weird purple monkey toy once she finished her food.
We got in the car to return home.
Darling: MAMA!!! I dropped my monkey!
Me (groping behind the seat): I can't reach it, Darling. Wait until we get home.
Darling: Ohhh! You touched my monkey! You did it!
Me: I still can't reach it all the way
Darling: You can do it! You can reach my monkey! Touch it!
Handsome and I burst into uncontrollable laughter...
Darling: What? What's funny Mama?
Who said parenting wasn't a dirty job?
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 7:30 PM 5 comments
Remembering Not Just the Veterans
I think it's pretty well established that I love me some veterans. If I didn't make it by your blog and wish you a happy Veteran's Day, well, consider this a big hug and a sloppy kiss from Moxie.
I've had direct family members fight in every single war from the American Revolution until the War In Iraq. (Bless you, my sweet cousin. Stay safe and come home soon!) Unless you count the 1st Gulf War and the French and Indian War. (But who really counts the F & I?)
Thank you Veterans for all you do and have done!!!!
But there's sad anniversary this week too...
Maybe you remember it from history class: Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass.
70 yrs ago...the true warning signs that Germany (Hitler) may not be all Ayran sunshine and roses. Kristallnacht was something that was so horrible that it's hard for me as a Roman Catholic Anglo-American to even comprehend.
It should have been a warning sign to Europe, to us.
For anyone who doesn't think the American government shouldn't be concerned about the rest of the world, remember Woodrow Wilson, his Isolationism theory and how many Jews died because we turned a blind eye.
Yes, James Monroe, you may have sucked as a president, but I still believe in keeping the world safe for democracy.
I don't like war. I don't like how we've handled ourselves in the world since George Bush (pick one) took office. I'm so thankful that there is a new America being born right now. I pray for peace.
God bless our veterans, the ones who didn't survive that long to earn that title and the people of the world they have protected.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 5:53 PM 1 comments
Monday, November 10, 2008
I really do make the best grilled cheese!
A while ago, I submitted my recipe for Grilled Cheese over on Parent Dish for a contest and guess what?! My recipe won! Yay!
Click on the link above to go watch them make my recipe (and another one that looks really good too.)
If not, here's how I make mine:
2 slices of Sara Lee Heart Healthy 100% Multigrain bread
2 slices of Kraft Cheese
"I Can't Believe It's Not Butter".
I usually spritz each side of each piece of bread very lightly with the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" (helps to make it "golden brown".
Place the cheese slices in between to construct the sandwich. Then, using a George Foreman grill, I toast the sandwich for 30-45 seconds on one side, flip it over and rotate 90 degrees (to create tic tac toe grill marks) and grill another 30 seconds.
This makes the perfect grilled cheese. It's not oily, but it's light, slightly crispy and the cheese is perfectly melted. This is the easiest, quickest yummiest grilled cheese.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 9:58 AM 4 comments
Friday, November 7, 2008
KC's Mayor Apparently "Can't" or "Won't"
(Sorry out of towners, bear with me)
I've ranted.
I've raved.
Now I'm just freaking sick.
I can't believe I actually voted for Funkhouser. I'm breaking #2 pencils right and left in rage.
Mr. Mayor, please leave your Brookside compound and get your ass back to City Hall.
It's no wonder KC's murder rate is so high this year, why our potholes are getting bigger and our streets are flooded.
If you're a true leader, lead by example. By your example, we aren't a "City That Works", we're a city that sits on our ass and pouts while KC collapses.
You've already proven yourself to be the worst mayor in our city's history. I can't stand the thought of putting up with you for another 2.5 yrs.
Why don't you channel your energy into something positive instead of being a stubborn jerk? You know, like fixing the Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund. Your wife and administration screwed it up last year and this year that charity needs it more than ever.
I think I've found a new activity for XO's Obama Zombies. Why don't we send them over to Brookside to protest outside the Mayor's house?
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 11:28 AM 1 comments
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Oh, Crap, I lied. But this is Worth It
I said no more politics, but I'm a woman and it's my perrogative to change my mind.
This is one of the most awesome quotes I heard about this election's historical nature. From Plog:
Outside, a handful of men were sitting at the patio tables on the sidewalk, enjoying the warm night air in the glow of the Wilson's Pizza sign across the street. As I walked to my car, one chased after me.
"I have something for you," said Craig Stevens, a carpenter from Louisiana who's working in town. "Put this in the paper: Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama is running so our kids can fly."
Wow. Just freakin' wow! I'm not even African American and that gives me chills! Here's the full story.
Mr. President, You've come a long way, baby!
Next up? A (competent, intelligent) woman in the White House. I just hope we don't have to wait another 148 for it to happen.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 11:23 AM 1 comments
Post-Election Hangover Thoughts
Thank God this is the last post I'll probably do for awhile about politics. But, sigh, I'm not very good at keeping my mouth shut.
These are completely random, in no particular order:
~Thank God we only have 77 more days of GWB!!!!
~Is there any rule against kicking him out early? Do we really have to wait all the way until January? He's just going to screw something up even bigger before that so he can leave a "legacy" (hasn't he done enough?)
~I was undecided until yesterday, but I'm at peace with who I voted for. I voted with my conscience (and 4 yr old's advice).
~I wonder what kind of puppy the Obama girls are getting. Do they get to choose?
~Michelle Obama's dress last night was HIDEOUS!!! It was NOT flattering whatsoever. Ugh!!!
~That being said, I believe there is about a 125% chance of her being the most kick ass first lady since Eleanor Roosevelt (possibly best ever).
~I almost cried during McCain's concession speech. I was so torn and divided about voting for or against him, but last night, he was a CLASS ACT. THAT was the John McCain of 2000. I kind of missed that guy this go around.
~I loved the fact that McCain was able to, despite his massive disappointment, call for unity and say that despite their differences he was able to call Obama HIS president. This man has given his service and his own life selflessly way beyond the average American. Regardless of your politics, I hope you can see he is a true American patriot that loves his country.
~I was surprised to get caught up in the surge of patriotism yesterday. It was good to see Americans loving America again. We're optimists by nature and it was good to see a little of the characteristic Can-Do American attitude yesterday. I only hope it lasts for the next 4 years.
~I hope Obama picks his advisors wisely. There's a lot of clean up to do after 8 yrs of Bush. I don't envy him in the least. Obama proved he can talk the talk and now the walk awaits.
~You know what? I do have hope in the future of America. Huh.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 10:39 AM 1 comments
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Feeling Ghost Post Deprived? Vote Like a Ghost Hunter!
This is an awesome, refreshing take on the whole election. Some good advice from one of my new favorite bloggers!
Voting Like a Ghost Hunter
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 1:31 PM 0 comments
Tomorrow is another day!
So, Handsome and I dropped Darling off at day care early this morning and headed to the polls before work. We arrived at 7:14 am and were done with our democratic duty by 7:59.
It really wasn't that bad standing in line. I was shocked we got through that quickly.
Four years ago, when Darling was 2.5 months old, we stood in line with her. But a four year old is much more difficult to entertain for 45 minutes than an infant that slept thru her first election.
Don't get me wrong. I usually take her with us. I think it's important to instill in her the beautiful priviledge that voting in a true democracy is. Just not today with 250 people in front of us.
I was still undecided this morning and leaning towards tossing my vote to Nader.
So, I asked Darling who I should vote for. And I voted for the candidate that she picked.
This may seem cavalier considering my previous post, but I truly believe that they are equally capable of running the country. It just depends on what your agenda is.
No matter what, tommorow (and especially in January) the country moves on from the horror of the Bush Era.
I stood outside, shivering in the cold and looked up at a bright red/orange maple tree and thought, "Things will get better. We're moving on from the destruction of the last 8 years."
I believe in our country. I believe our forefathers set it up so that there are checks and balances. I hope everyone rememebered to make educated decisions for their governors, congressmen and state reps. I hope they really evaluated taxes and municipal plans.
No matter who wins the Presidential election, I have hope for the future, which is not something I can say I had voting 4 years ago.
Obama/McCain was a hard choice for me because both can probably do a great job. I had no faith, optimism or excitement with Bush/Kerry or even Bush/Gore elections.
I haven't been as excited as my first presidential election in 1996 when I cast my ballot for Bill Clinton and I wasn't even sure of my vote until 15 minutes before arriving at the polls.
I'm excited to go home and watch CNN tonight for the first time in 2 years.
And the beat goes on...
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 1:04 PM 0 comments
Monday, November 3, 2008
Don't Be This Guy on Election Day
I had a political science teacher in college that told us that it doesn't matter who you vote for in the presidential elections because your vote in the grand scheme of things really didn't count for much.
(Hold up, I started to protest too!)
He brought up the very good point that your vote counts a lot more in the "low voter turn-out" elections on mundane things like city improvements, city, state and national representatives, taxes, etc.
You know, the little things that affect your life in much more impactful ways day to day than the guy who sits in the Oval Office.
What bothers me even more are the "Are you registered to vote?" and especially the "Don't forget to vote" people.
Vote? Vote for what? The message just ends there?
How about amending it to "Don't forget to register to vote and then make educated decisions when you exercise that democratic right."
Do me a favor...
If you're uninformed/uneducated on the issues that affect your community, county, state or nation, for the love of this country, don't vote tomorrow. You'll do more harm than good.
Don't vote if you're a radical Fred Phelps type.
Don't vote if you're an idiot.
Don't vote if you only vote for one particular party without at least considering the candidate in the opposite party.
Don't vote if you pick a candidate based on nothing more than the fact that they have the same last name of your favorite grade school teacher and you have no idea what they stand for.
Don't vote for someone because you agree with them on one single issue and nothing else.
Don't vote if you just want the sticker so you can get free Chik-Fil-A.
I absolutely adore this country, warts and all. Whoever wins the presidency tomorrow, wins. But the other candidates you are voting for matter just as much.
Please, please! Read your ballot thoroughly. Know what and who you're going to vote for/against. Think about the impact those issues will have on your life. Look at a sample ballot ahead of time.
Don't be that guy tomorrow as you step into the voting booth.
This is Moxie Mama and I approve this message.
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 11:13 AM 2 comments
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Little Lawsuit On the Prairie ~ Shame on YOU!!
This is the first book I ever read out loud. Sure, I went through the Hop on Pop and Dick and Jane books, but Little House in the Big Woods was the first time I read a story that got me hooked.
I have a life long love of reading thanks to the Little House books and I was appalled when I read this story.
If you're too lazy/busy to click over, basically it says that "Family Friendly Productions" (the company that owns the rights to the Little House tv series) is suing a small Independence, KS museum that calls itself "Little House on the Prairie". The museum is on the property that Laura's family lived in during the book that bears that title.
The not-for-profit museum takes in about $90K a year barely making ends meet (like any not-for-profit.)
If you're one of my Constant Readers, you know my passion for museums/history. Imagine how enraged I am at this load of crap lawsuit and you're not even close to how pissed I am.
What it really comes down to is "Little House: The Musical" money.
This whole thing makes me sick. The museum owns trademarks on the name, but "Family Friendly" (what an interesting name) is still suing for "trademark infringement, trademark dilution and unfair competition" and wants damages and any money the non-profit has made "from use of the name."
So, if I'm getting this all straight, it seems that it's more important for the Production company to get a few more pennies (and that's what it almost comes down to) than to teach children great literature and Kansas history.
Check out the Jezelbel article. The comments crack me up, especially this one:
Hey...hey. Hi. Um, a while ago we produced this television show based upon some books that were based upon a pioneer girl's life at the home you happen to be operating your museum out of. We have noticed that your historical location bares more than a passing resemblance to our fictitious interpretation of your historical location, and although you have a commonlaw service mark, our DVD sales aren't what we thought they'd be and anyway, could you give us some money?
Super swell? I bet Laura and Michael Landon are both rolling over in their graves.
I'm so going to all of the Little House Museum sites one day when Darling's old enough to read them. I think it would be fun to read them and then summer road trip to the 5 or so museums.
I might sneak up to the Guthrie and see the Musical though.
Check out the the Only Laura blog. Pretty awesome. I'm following this story, I'll keep you updated.
The ironic thing about this is that I LOVED the books, but then got mad at the TV show because it wasn't acurate. I liked the show ok, but it wasn't as good as the books. Isn't that always true, though?
Posted by MoxieMamaKC at 9:00 AM 5 comments


text:
Tags Misconduct by a judge or juror
Tag: misconduct by a judge or juror
Last minute appeal from death row: Vote No on 34 to...
If Proposition 34 passes, it will endorse everything that is wrong with the criminal justice system and allow the appeals of innocent people on death row to go unheard. It will take away the one guarantee, through habeas counsel, that death row prisoners have to be able to clear their names and prove their innocence. Vote No on Prop 34; do not destroy due process rights.


text:
Some of the math tests being given to students as part of New York state's annual statewide assessments are missing questions.
Thursday marked the second day of the annual three-day math assessments for students in grades three through eight in New York's nearly 700 school districts.
The tests measure student progress, but also factor into annual teacher evaluations.
State education officials say a version of the third-grade test given Thursday was missing some questions because of an apparent printing error.
Spokesman Tom Dunn says no tests have been invalidated and the error affects only one of four forms of the third-grade test.
Dunn says schools were advised of possible solutions, including giving students a different version of the test or having them complete it during next week's makeup period.


text:
Last week, I published a short editorial in Scientific American's SA Forum online that decried the near-total lack of organization or prioritization in the Sustainable Development Goals/Global Goals/whatever they are called this week. My argument was simple: by not ordering or prioritizing goals, the SDGs
risk becoming an empty exercise that empowers business as usual in the field of global development.
At the conclusion of that piece, I suggested that the only way to avoid this outcome was to find actors who were able to demand organization and prioritization among these goals – principally the big bilateral donors like USAID and DfID, or perhaps the Gates foundation (which, on expenditures, comes in around the world's sixth-largest donor organization).
I've been taken to task a few times by colleagues for this suggestion. These rather polite and professional interventions (I know, not at all like the internet I've come to expect) pointed out that I'd empowered the big donors, with their problematic, often Eurocentric framings of development and how to achieve it, to act as the saviors of development via the SDGs. Given my rather clear critical stance with regard to these framings of development (most clearly articulated in Delivering Development, but generally present in most of the stuff I write), I think some folks were mystified by my logic. So allow me to clarify:
When we refuse to define terms, organize concepts or efforts, or engage in the politics necessary to set priorities, we are not apolitical: we are empowering other political agendas. The basic argument of my op-ed was simple: by not making hard decisions, we have empowered a particular political agenda, one that leaves development in a business-as-usual situation. Therefore, I see nearly any effort at locking down priorities and organizing efforts as superior to no prioritization at all, because any effort to set priorities will accomplish two things:
First, it will bring politics to the fore, and we will all be forced to wrestle with what we want to prioritize and why.
Second, it will lock down the meanings of the different terms we use (i.e. sustainable, well-being, secure) in such a way that they can become sites where politics can happen.
What do I mean by this? If, as we have done to this point, we refuse to define what we mean by sustainable (for example), we create a conceptual container that can be filled by nearly any definition, policy, program, project, or activity. It allows completely contradictory efforts to coexist and cancel each other out, without providing a base from which to contest any or all of these efforts. When there are no definitions, everything using a given term can be seen as equally valid. Similarly, if we refuse to prioritize our efforts, organizations can fill their efforts to meet the SDGs with almost any hodgepodge of policies, programs, projects, or activities…and will likely do so in a manner that mirrors their current emphases, funding, and staffing structures. Thus, organizations could set up completely contradictory agendas, with associated material efforts, and be seen as making equally valid efforts to address the SDGs in the eyes of the donors and the public. There is no way to contest the way one organization or another does its business if there are no definitions or priorities from which to work.
This does not mean that I think any particular donor organization will save the SDGs by setting the agenda we need to move forward. All are mired in their own internal and/or national politics, and therefore will push for agendas that most clearly reflect their own strengths and priorities. Further, most donor organizations do, in fact, operate from rather problematic, Eurocentric framings of the world, for example in their continuing inability to recognize the genius of small farmers who already negotiate uncertain environments and economies. As I have written about at length, in the eyes of most donor organizations these farmers are poor and helpless in the face of these large forces, and in need of help/saving/education. As a result, the donors cannot identify the things that these farmers really need (which are often a lot more narrow than a total reworking of their agricultural systems) and, even worse, they cannot learn from the things these farmers already know about how to best manage their agricultural, economic, and social environments.
So no, I don't think the donors will save us…directly. But if one or more are willing to step up and impose politics on this process, they will create a process by which terms gain definition, and efforts are prioritized. When these meanings become fixed, it becomes possible to engage them and contest them, to actually have a conversation about what development is, and what it should be. Right now, we can just hold hands, say words like sustainability, and watch a nice concert together, all the while operating under the illusion that we have the same goals, and that we are working toward those goals in the same ways. That gets us nowhere. I want a development world where we are forced to recognize that different organizations and individuals prioritize different things, have different visions of the future, and different means of moving us toward those visions. Further, I want a development world where we have to struggle with the fact that what organizations want may have little to do with what the global poor want. That is what the SDGs could have given us.
It is too late to make the SDGs' 17 goals and 169 targets a site of real development politics. But all is not lost: over one thousand initiatives have been set up to meet these targets and achieve these goals, and many more are coming. This is where the goals will become impacts on the ground. If we can create a real politics of development around these initiatives by organizing and prioritizing them, perhaps we can recover the SDGs as a site from which we can build a truly transformative agenda for development.


text:
PORTALES, N.M., June 28 (UPI) -- A New Mexico woman is suing her city after she spent the night in jail as a result of an overdue "Twilight" book and DVD from the library.
Lori Teel, whose attorney sent a tort claim notice to the Portales city clerk Monday, said police officers visiting her home on a report of a disturbance June 12 arrested her in front of her five children, ages 1 to 10, and she spent the night at the Roosevelt County Detention Center while her children stayed with a neighbor, the Albuquerque Journal reported Thursday.
"My kids are still very emotional," Teel said. "They had to stay with a complete stranger. My 3-year-old is traumatized over it. She will not leave my side."
Eric Dixon, Teel's attorney, said the Portales Public Library showed his client had not returned Stephenie Meyer's novel, "Twilight," and a DVD copy of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" despite an Oct. 5, 2010, due date. He said his client was ordered to appear in court, but the notices were sent to a children's home where Teel lived when she was young.
"Ms. Teel and her small children have been traumatized, humiliated, embarrassed, subject to ridicule, and otherwise suffered pain and suffering and other damages as a result of the wrongful arrest," Dixon wrote in the tort claim.


text:
Develop games with ActionScript
Efficiently build high-performance games using the ActionScript® language.
Develop games more quickly with Flash Builder 4.7 thanks to advanced code hinting, code refactoring and quick-assist templates.
Create ActionScript workers easily with a wizard-based interface, updated debugger and build packaging support in Flash Builder 4.7.
Deployment and testing
Efficiently deploy, debug and profile iOS and Android™ apps via USB and Wi-Fi directly from the Flash Builder IDE.
Code faster
Reduce the time from concept to delivery with robust coding tools and comprehensive templates.
Powerful code editing
Speed coding through syntax colouring, statement completion, code collapse, refactoring support, live highlighting of invalid references and interactive step-through debugging.
Code generation
Use QuickAssist/Fix to rename and manipulate variables, generate getters/setters and event handlers, organise imports and more. Use the override/implements feature to define methods from a superclass or interface.
Code templates
Use over 100 best-practice code templates (aka snippets) for ActionScript, MXML and CSS. Review and insert templates using code assist. Create customised templates and import or export them for sharing within teams.
Deliver native experiences
Provide a better experience to end-users across desktop and mobile platforms.
Mobile application packaging and signing
Package and sign applications as platform-specific installer files for upload to application stores.
Native extensions
Access the latest platform and device capabilities for iOS, Android, BlackBerry® Tablet OS, Windows®, Mac OS and Linux®.
Captive runtime
Increase instal rates and reduce testing costs by bundling the runtime with applications.
Easily debug and test
Help ensure a quality experience while reducing testing time with powerful testing tools.
Mobile app debugging
Debug and test applications on locally connected mobile devices or a mobile emulator.
Memory and performance profilers
Accelerate application performance using memory and performance profilers that monitor and analyse memory consumption and CPU cycles.
Network Monitor
Generate a detailed audit trail of all data passed between the local Flex application and the back end, assisting with debugging and performance tuning.
Functional testing support
Get support for automated functional testing tools such as HP QuickTest Professional and FlexMonkey. Automate functional testing using the Flex unit testing framework.
Follow us
Share on Facebook
Share on Facebook
Share on LinkedIn
Share on LinkedIn


text:
Have an account? Sign in to see your cart.
End of Season Sale! Save on thousands of new markdowns from top brands
Curbside Pickup available 7 days a week!
Fields marked with * are required.
Debit and credit card payments can be unsuccessful for a number of reasons. We can look into this for you! Just click here to chat with the next available agent.


text:
Wenas Creek: Life in 16,000 B.P.
If you were to walk along the terrain near the small town of Selah, Washington, you would see a hilly, desert-like landscape, reflecting the dry climate that is characteristic of the eastern half of this Pacific Northwest state; however, during Pleistocene times (1.8 million to 10,000 years B.P.), you would see a wetter, cooler landscape, consisting of a greater abundance of vegetation, water sources, and fauna long ago extinct. Mammoths roamed this ancient ecosystem. Isolated examples of their bones have been found scattered across this, the Columbian Plateau area. Rare, however, is the instance where an assemblage of associated bones from a single specimen can be found in one location. Such a site is the subject of ongoing investigations being conducted by a research team under the direction of Dr. Patrick Lubinski of Central Washington University. Known as the Wenas Creek Mammoth site, it has thus far revealed hundreds of bone elements, including nearly complete mammoth leg bones, vertebrae, toe bones and shoulder blade, as well as the remains of bison, dated to approximately 16,000 years B.P. Additional bones remain partially exposed from the 2009 excavations and are awaiting removal in 2010. Equally intriguing, human artifacts (cryptocrystalline flakes) were discovered in proximity to, and 15 centimeters above, a mammoth bone, suggesting a human presence at the site. Were there humans in the midst of these ancient creatures as early as 16,000 years ago? More work needs to be done to answer that question. The goals of the project are to recover additional mammoth remains and associated fauna and paleo-environmental data, and to place these into the geological context. Additionally, it is hoped that the research will reveal the taphonomic relationships between the finds, as well as more evidence of human presence.
Individuals interested in being a part of this exciting work of discovery will have the opportunity to participate either as field school students or in other volunteer capacities, learning the tools and techniques common to BOTH paleontology and archaeology. The Wenas Creek Mammoth Project Field School will be conducted during the summer of 2010 and will offer a full agenda of practical learning experiences.
The Field School is open to anyone eligible to register for college credits (college students or not) and may be audited by those not wanting college credit. There are no prerequisites, but some background in archaeology, geography and/or geology is strongly encouraged. For the first week (beginning June 21), students will be training with lecture, lab studies, field trips, and perhaps hikes. They will acquire some background in archaeological field methods, sediments, mammoths, maps, and the regional environment. The first day will be entirely on campus, but they may be in the field or on campus thereafter. Primary field tasks will be recovery of mammoth bones and any artifacts, and collection of stratigraphic and geomorphic information to place the finds into context. To do this, a number of 2 x 2 m units will be excavated, mapping all encountered bone and artifacts with a total station theodolite. Students may use shovels, wheelbarrows, trowels, brushes, and/or fine bamboo skewers for excavation, and shake the recovered material through 1/8" screens. As bone is recovered, the team will make use of a consolidant to stabilize fragments and prevent them from disintegrating. As they excavate the 2 x 2 m units, they will also carefully record the stratigraphy of each, and link this to the already-described stratigraphy of the backhoe trench excavated in 2005. Ultimately, the recovered bones will be linked to the stratigraphy and associated geomorphology of the site. Students may also gain experience with pedestrian archaeology. As part of an exchange program, they may spend up to a week on a survey crew working through central Washington. This exchange is with a parallel CWU archaeology summer field school under the direction of Dr. Steve Hackenberger. Transportation is provided. Students may choose their level of participation in this exchange, up to five days. Additionally, participants will also take several field trips elsewhere, such as the Yakima Valley Museum in Yakima and the Qwu?gwes "wetsite" archaeological excavation in Olympia.
Join the Team!
If you are interested in learning more about how to join this effort, go to the website at www.cwu.edu/~mammoth.html for more detailed information about the project and how to apply. Not interested or ready for the full Field School experience? You can volunteer to participate and get a taste of the action by registering for their ongoing volunteer program. Information about this program can also be found at the website.


text:
Listings in Baptist, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), Cajun/Creole, Episcopal and Pizza
Stage Door Restaurant at Welk Resort
in Steak, Pub/Bar & Grill, Pizza, Buffet, Breakfast/Brunch, American
"Stage Door Restaurant" in the beautiful Welk Resort in Branson, Missouri!
1984 State Hwy 165
Branson 65616
Pizza World - Hwy 248
Offering a vast array of flavors from around the world, Pizza World combines the exciting new concept of gourmet pizzas.
1447 State Hwy 248 Suite F
Branson 65616
Hook & Ladder Pizza Co.
in Pizza
Extinguish your hunger at "Hook & Ladder Pizza Co." in beautiful downtown Hollister, Missouri!
26 Downing Street
Hollister 65672
Indian Point Marina Floating Cafe
in Seafood/Fish, Steak, Sandwiches/Subs/Grinders/Hoagies, Pizza, Hamburgers/Hot Dogs/Wings, Barbecue, Breakfast/Brunch, American
3443 Indian Point Road
Branson 65616
Domino's Pizza - Hollister #1687
in Pizza
You can always count on "Domino's Pizza" for great pizza and quick delivery, and their Hollister location near Branson is no exception!
2909 South Business 65
Hollister 65672
Domino's Pizza #1601
in Pizza
It's "Domino's Pizza" so you know you'll be happy!
3310 W 76 Country Blvd
Branson -93.281396
Cordovano Joe's Authentic New York Style Pizza
in Pizza
Dine in or take out fresh, hot, family style "Cordovano Joe's Authentic New York Style Pizza" in Branson!
2201 Roark Valley Drive
Branson 2201 Roark
Cici's Pizza
in Pizza
"CiCi's Pizza," the popular, low-cost pizza buffet chain features more than 28 varieties of pizza.
3460 W 76 Country Blvd
Branson 65616
Papa Grand's Pizza & Buffet
in Soups/Salads, Pizza, Buffet
"Papa Grand's Pizza & Buffet" in Branson is a wonderful place to choose from a variety of pizzas, and make a salad exactly as you want it!
1945 W 76 Country Blvd
Branson 65616
Parmesan's Pizzeria
in Italian, Soups/Salads, Pizza
"Parmesan's Pizzeria" in Kimberling City is the right choice when chain store pizza just won't do!
14608 State Highway 13
Kimberling City 65686


text:
Interesting to see to what level Pete and the crew at Cabrinha goes through to test the durability of the kites. The slow motion video is cool to see how much the LE flexes and absorbs the impact. I guess this is one time where pulling in on the bar at impact is OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-nSeWe ... r_embedded